Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, authorized what was to become the forced removal and incarceration of all Japanese Americans on the West Coast. After the executive order was issued, General John L. DeWitt, head of the Western Defense Command, designated certain “military areas” on the West Coast from which Japanese Americans would be excluded. Members of the Japanese American community were encouraged to move out of these areas voluntarily, but this did not happen. Consequently, General DeWitt organized the forced removal, or exclusion, of all persons of Japanese ancestry from these military areas, which included California, Washington, Oregon, and parts of Arizona.

General DeWitt issued a total of 108 civilian exclusion orders over a period of five months, from late March to August 1942. The exclusion orders were issued sequentially, with areas deemed most sensitive militarily given the highest priority. Exclusion Order No. 1 was issued on March 24, 1942, and targeted Bainbridge Island in Washington State. Exclusion order notices, titled “Instructions to All Persons of Japanese Ancestry,” were posted in highly visible spots within the exclusion areas to notify Japanese Americans of their impending removal and incarceration by the United States government. They were given one week to prepare for their departure and were instructed to bring with them only what they could carry. On the day of removal, Japanese Americans were transported first to assembly centers and from there on to incarceration camps.

By August 18, 1942, the forced removal was complete and some 110,000 Japanese Americans had been moved to incarceration camps where they would remain for the duration of World War II.